April 14, 2009
Posted by Cricinfo at
in Australian Cricket
Hello, I'm Dirk Wellham
From James Ozerman, Australia
Does anyone remember the former Australian player and NSW/Tasmanian/Queensland player and Captain Dirk Wellham? When I was growing up in the 1980's he was my cricketer. With some players they are who you want to be as players. To me, he was who I was; a quiet, bespectacled nondescript "outsider" sitting on the fringes of teams, waiting and being overshadowed by events or other players.
Yeah, yeah yeah laugh all you want, I can hear you saying "What, are you kidding me? He was one of the worst players to ever represent Australia!". It's a comment echoed a lot apparently. I decided that I had to do my research on this to prove either he was or he wasn't one of the worst ever to represent his country as he frequently appears on worst Australian teams lists compiled by fans just like myself. What I found may or may not surprise you.
Through my research (i.e. reading of his book, old articles and internet sites such as wikipedia and Cricinfo) and in gathering statistics for this defense, he strikes me as somewhat of a controversial, enigmatic personality that didn't always fit in with the hierarchy of the team, the board, the selectors, the fans or the media. By his own admission he wasn't "gregarious or one of the boys". That didn't stop him being an above average State cricketer (he is only one of two batsmen in history to score a century on debut for state and country) and a first rate state captain (where he won two Sheffield Shields in a row including the double of the shield and the one-day competition) and is the only player in history to captain three different state sides. He played six Tests between 1981 and 1987. He seems to have unfairly taken some flak for some of his supposed actions which may have reflected negatively on his standing with the selectors and the board.
On his Test debut in 1981 where he was approaching his century he was sent a message from the captain, Kim Hughes, who had seen the sky get dark, to take his time. He was tied down by Peter Parker and Ian Botham for 25 minutes before he could get to his century. He was subsequently dropped for the next Test that Australia played. He managed to play another three Tests in 1981-82 and again subsequently disappeared from the Test team.
He didn't exactly get an extended run throughout his career as the next time he was chosen was for the sixth and final test against England in 1985, a tour that seemed very unhappily divided because of the rebel tour to South Africa. Initially, he had signed onto the rebel tour and then pulled out thanks to Kerry Packer, which upset many, both on the inside, and the outside of the team, as well as the board. He and three others, Graeme Wood, Wayne Phillips and Murray Bennett who also were to have gone to South Africa, but like Wellham, pulled out at the last minute (Bennett months before). According to Wellham (in his book) the four were interrogated by the other members of the squad as to where their loyalties were, and later a unanimous vote was taken by the squad behind their backs that basically said that they weren't wanted in the squad.
He again disappeared from the Test team after the sixth test and stayed on the fringes of international cricket with intermittent appearances in the one day side until he was chosen in a dead rubber in the fifth Test against England at Sydney in 1987. He, according to reports was chosen to be Allan Border's deputy by the selectors, but this was rejected unanimously by the board for their own reasons. It is also reported not only in his book, but in "History of Australian Cricket" (by Chris Harte) that he was the one who lead the team on the field to their only win in that series. Was AB threatened by Wellham? Possibly, if you want to look at it from the perspective that the team was underperforming, due to retirements, and the rebel tours and whilst AB's captaincy was under serious pressure, Wellham was the most successful captain at that point in time.
Personally I believe that Wellham would have made an excellent Australian captain. Despite him playing in most of the one-day matches the summer of 1986-87 and being a part of the winning fifth Test team, his international career was over after the tour of Sharjah in early 1987. It was in the same 1986-87 season when Allan Lamb took on Bruce Reid in ODI final over heroics and won by clobbering 18 of 5 balls to seal a famous, if not an improbable victory. Does anyone remember Wellham making 97 in that match? If you go to Youtube you can watch the demolition of Reid by Lamb. Try looking for Wellham's innings (or Australia's innings of the match) and it's nowhere to be found. I all too well remember sitting in the Bradman stand and feeling slightly miffed when Bill Athey took a low catch to deny Wellham a deserved century. Such was the life of a ten-year-old watch his hero trudge off without gaining what was rightfully his.
Granted cricket is about performance and his Test average is only 23.37 which is quite unremarkable compared to others who had longer to prove themselves, but given that his stop start Test career was stretched over six years I decide to compare how his average over his short six Test career stacks up against other (mostly) more established Australian Test cricketers averages (both current and former) in their first six Tests. The results are below:
1. Mike Hussey 80
2. Adam Gilchrist 69
3. Allan Border 70
4. Mark Taylor 63
5. Michael Clarke 60
5. Mark Waugh 51
6. Dean Jones/Graham Yallop 46
7. Geoff Marsh 38
8. Ricky Ponting/Greg Ritchie 33
9. David Hookes 32
10. Justin Langer 26
11. Matthew Hayden 25
12. Kim Hughes 24
13. Dirk Wellham 23
14. Mike Veletta 21
15. David Boon 18
16. Andrew Symonds 17
18. Steve Waugh 14
My conclusion, going by the statistics alone, he actually had a better average than Boon, Steve Waugh and Andrew Symonds after six Tests each and there was only 3 and 2 runs on average between himself and Hayden and Langer. Isn't that a surprise? Statistically at that point in their Test careers they were pretty much on par. But then again cricket isn't all about statistics, it's just as much about characters and personalities.
The impact that Wellham has had on Australian cricket is more than just his personal achievements but also how he influenced two of Australia's future captains, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. Both players have acknowledged that they gleaned insights and aspects of captaincy from his style of leadership. It is unfortunate Wellham just didn't seem to fit into the Aussie larrakin/ocker kind of player that has become synonymous with those who have played for Australia over the past 30 years. He seemed to be a generation or two too late, a product of a bygone era when it was alright to be quiet or unassuming. Those of us who appreciate that can only ponder what could have been.
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February 10, 2009
Posted by Cricinfo at
in Australian Cricket
Forget the Ashes, England
From Brendan Layton, Australia
One of the unexpected laughs of the week came at the expense of England, who showed the world they are still the masters of disaster with a dismal collapse to 51 in their test against the West Indies. And the reason I laugh? Every Pommie supporter has been in my ears or on Cricinfo talking up how Australia will be devastated on their trip for England. Following their ridiculous fall on the weekend, I am completely confident that we will retain our hold on the priceless urn.
England and Australia are often accused of paying too much attention to the Ashes. It is true to some respects, although Australia in its time puts a lot of priority on its duels these days with South Africa and especially India, as well as having a long standing competition with the Windies for the Frank Worrell Trophy. England, however, are clearly Ashes-obsessed. The tabloids in England are more infatuated with beating Australia than they are with Amy Winehouse's drunken exploits or what stupid comment the Gallagher brothers have summoned for the week. It's an old sore that they cannot tolerate, a colony creating its own identity and then emerging as superior in some aspects, as they have with cricket.
The hysteria surrounding 2005, when England thrillingly won to breathe life back into the contest, was a good example of how much they revere the contest, and how much it means for them to win. There were some that hadn't ever seen the urn in England's trophy cabinet following its capture in 1989 and subsequent long term possession by Australia. I don't blame them for going mad and then giving MBEs top the victorious team. They did the same for the English Union team when they won the World Cup in 2003, having knocked off, you guessed it, Australia for the title.
England were widely rumoured to be treating this tour as an 'Ashes warm-up'. How that has now backfired spectacularly. Their reliance on Kevin Pietersen is beginning to grow with every Test, especially with the continually lean showings of Alastair Cook and the spineless Ian Bell. Their bowling, apart from the luckless yet venomous 'Freddie' Flintoff, is rather frail. Stuart Broad is developing but can't hide a lack of real pace. Ryan Sidebottom is steady and accurate, but can be negotiated by a good batting line-up. He went wicketless at Kingston, and that might be playing on their minds. The less said of Harmison and Jimmy Anderson the better. Neither are the answer for England's bowling woes.
Harmy is way too inconsistent and has problems with his attitude. Now that he is on the wrong side of 30, they need to cut off from a talented but highly enigmatic bowler. Anderson is a real conundrum. He can bowl prodigious swing at a good pace at times but when he has an off day, which is quite often, he can be plundered for many runs. He was highly ineffectual in the last Ashes series, and the Australian batsmen will be licking their lips if he comes into contention for a place. Monty is certainly their best spinner. And one would hope he finds his mojo, as he can be considered a far better spin bowler than anyone Australia can muster at the present time. England needs to have a long think, and so do all you Pom supporters out there. Do you really think you can win the Ashes with this inconsistent bunch of underachievers?
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January 21, 2009
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in Australian Cricket
Warne again
From Sagun P, Australia
They say that in times of despair, you should look at the brighter side of life and new hope for the future ahead. If one had been following Australian news and media channels over the past few weeks, they can be forgiven for thinking that Twenty-20 is the best format of the gentleman's game and that Lee, Johnson, Clarke & Clark, Hayden, so and so have disappeared off the face of the earth. And why not? When you have David Warner!
If I got a cent for every time I've heard about how we miss Warnie and that he should be recalled, I wouldn't be writing this blog right now. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd be lining up Warnie to be my star transfer for next year's expanded IPL, where I'd apparently be owner of the new Bihar-based franchise with Lalu as my spokesperson. But all that's for another day.
Richie Benaud still thinks Warne can make a comeback in this year's Ashes series and KP's desperate attempt to have Sir Shane made the coach of England goes a long way to confirming the fact that the Poms are scared that it might happen as well! But, as I mentioned earlier, all this talk has suddenly died down once David Warner has arrived onto the scene.
Andrew McDonald made his debut for Australia this summer and Ricky Ponting affectionately nicknamed him "Fanta". I wonder if Warner will be the new "Warnie"; if not just to get the opposition onto the back foot - something the Australians are masters of (among other things). Australia's fixation with all things Warnie is starting to get a bit creepy now. Just go see the new musical about him. Next thing you know, he'll be hosting his own reality TV shows: "Search for Australia's next top Warnie". But wait, we've already found him.
His name is David Warner. Critics have already started doing what they do best and labeled him a one-hit-wonder. If that is the case, I wonder if and how long they will persist with him in the hope that one day, one day he will repeat his heroics from his first hit out; and not just turn up and bowl his fast leggies with returns of 2/45 from every match and get out first ball. My Pakistani friend Ahmed suggested I put that last sentence in, by the way.
It's astonishing that a cricketer would get selected for what was the greatest cricketing team in the world without even a first class match under his belt. It's even more astonishing that some people want this man to be selected to don the baggy green left vacant by Matthew Hayden and enter a team which only 18 months ago was described as "harder to get in than out". Maybe Haydos thinks the same, for he retired the day after he saw Warner spin the Proteas out of the MCG.
Wait, I think Brad Hodge is at my door. ..... No, it was just the postie with my tickets to Sydney to join the Bankstown Cricket Club. For his sake and whatever happens next, I hope he does well and goes a long way to fulfilling his early promise, both in Australia and in Delhi. After all, Sehwag and Co wouldn't want to have let go of Shikhar Dhawan for nothing.
Now if only my German mate Hans Warneberger from Nar Nar Goon would stop thinking he suddenly has new found batting superpowers and strut out to bat with such disregard for the bowling that as the next man in, I'd have to get padded up even before he faced a ball.
Comments (2)
December 3, 2008
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Another letter to Mr. Hilditch
From Nick Wennerbom, Australia
Dear Mr. Hilditch, I'm sorry I missed your call last Thursday. I know I needn't, but I still feel compelled to explain. I had a supposedly good tip for the horses that day and got to the pub early to take the fixed odds, but they don't like your mobile ringing when the races are on so I turned it off. Anyway by the time I spent next month's mortgage at the dogs that night I was too drunk to remember how to turn it back on. But please don't get the wrong impression.
As I outlined in my previous letter to you I don't drink on match days and besides, I have a lot of Red Bull with my alcohol which gives me heaps of energy for cricket the next day. Having said that, it was good to see Mr. Hauritz go well in Adelaide, wasn't it? I would imagine you must be thinking that now is as good a time as any to break his heart again. It is with this in mind that I am hoping you will be able to give me some indication as to which Tests I will play and the ones where I am likely to be dropped.
I realise this is a difficult question to answer, but I figure that Mum and Dad will want to come and watch and they need to book flights etc. My understanding is that if I perform well in Perth and Melbourne then I will probably be dropped for Sydney. Whereas if I completely stuff up my first two Tests, I should still be a shoo-in for the third. The obvious temptation here is to try and bowl poorly in Perth thus guaranteeing me a Boxing Day Test, but if I am unfortunate enough to actually grab a couple of lucky wickets then I realise this would place my position in some jeopardy.
I'm sure you appreciate the conundrum I find myself in so confirmation of your selection policy would make things easier for me to organise this end. As I am led to believe this selection policy is likely to scar me emotionally, would it also be possible for you to recommend a good psychiatrist in advance? I have been advised that I am likely to suffer some deep-seated personal issues about the way I am to be treated in the coming months and I need to know if my health insurance will cover this. My mate tells that me you are a solicitor and therefore apparently an intelligent man and he thinks that you would have sneaked a clause into our contracts preventing us from taking legal action for chronic depression in years to come. So if I am to play with you guys I would first have to secure my mental well-being for the future.
This mate's friend's second cousin knows this guy who has a brother who has been through it all before, I think his name was Kim Yallop or something like that. Fortunately I'm told, he appears to be recovering quite well now. Should I be forced to carry the drinks for a game and am only needed in a support role, I too can offer my services to players that need counselling and as always, this is a skill I'm prepared to share with the rest of the team. Over the years I have counselled many of my mates when they have had relationship issues and I have consoled some of their wives and girlfriends too. But I can assure you that I wouldn't engage in any improper conduct with any player's partners unless it was consensual. Incidentally like your good self, this mate of mine is an opening batsman who is thinking of applying for Mr. Hayden's position, I told him to stop dreaming. He gets caught at fine leg on the hook way too often for an opener, but he seems to think that as long as you are the Chairman of Selectors that this wouldn't matter as that was your signature shot during your Test career. Anyway, he might apply in the New Year if his wife lets him. She gave him the ultimatum last week of cricket or fishing which caused a fair bit of angst as you could imagine but fortunately I was there to console her.
Mr. Hilditch as you never left a message last week, I can only assume that you called and couldn't get through. So I trust I am not being too presumptuous in giving you a gentle reminder about my availability over the Christmas holidays and as ever I look forward to catching up soon. Kind Regards Nick.
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November 28, 2008
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Letter to Mr. Hilditch
From Nick Wennerbom, Australia
Dear Mr. Hilditch, I wish to apply for the vacant position of Australian Test spinner following the announcement of Jason Krezja's injury and the pencilling in of Nathan Hauritz, while I assume you are perusing other resumes.
I have been involved with cricket for most of my life and believe I have the necessary attributes to contribute to the success of the team. With your recent change in selection policy to 'horses for courses', it ought be noted that I lived in Adelaide for 6 months and have visited the ground twice to watch games which makes me somewhat of a specialist for this venue.
Recently I have been sending down some useful deliveries on the industrial carpet at our office and was far too good for one of our employees, a Spanish lass named Lorena. Furthermore, I have also been bowling at Anderson Park after work on Friday afternoon where I managed to land nearly every ball on the pitch, which I understand is a pre-requisite for selection.
While I have never actually managed to ever turn a delivery, either to off or leg, I don't think this should hinder my chances as neither Cam or Nath have ever turned one either and which affords me to believe that this is no longer a requirement of an Australian Test Spinner. Another skill that I can bring to the team is my ability to get through the overs rather quickly. After bowling two overs the other day, I reverted to the short run up of one pace, where I was still able to land the ball on the cut portion of the synthetic wicket fairly consistently. This I believe will enable us to get through our 90 overs in day and as such reduce our fines.
When I was younger, my brother and I would often get through 152 overs in the backyard after school until Mum had dinner ready. I also have a Certificate IV in workplace training and assessing, and as a qualified trainer I am willing to put in some overtime to provide some assistance to Mr. Ponting in this regard. My movements in the field have been referred to as gazelle-like by myself and I am confident that I would stop most balls hit directly at me and a reasonable portion of those a metre or so either side of me as well.
As a part time umpire, I am well versed in the tactics of intimidation and this coupled with my recent foray into acting as an extra in a TV ad, leaves me with no doubt that I would be convincing and melodramatic on camera whenever things don't go my way. During my umpiring career I once received some invaluable advice from Stuey Macgill who told me all I had to do was "f***ing well watch and listen" advise that I am more that willing to pass onto Rudi or Billy Bowden during my first spell. As an added bonus I have a short temper and swear profusely - an attribute my work colleagues and manager could attest to and one which surely will enable me to fit in with your organisation's culture with a minimum of fuss.
There are some areas of my game that I need to work on such as my batting and although I was unlucky, I managed to get dismissed via every method possible last Friday in the dozen or so balls I faced. However, with the strength of our 1-10 in the batting order, I don't see this as a major issue. Besides, like for like, Chris Martin is only marginally more adept than me and I can't see this as being a major obstacle to my pending selection. As for my personable attributes, I believe that I have always been a pretty good bloke and have always made myself available for drinks on a Friday afternoon with my teammates from work - although it is to be noted, I have never gotten into a fight at the pub, and I wouldn't drink on match days if that was a requirement.
Would you be kind enough to advise me ASAP of your decision, as I need 24 hours notice to tell my boss Sue-Anne that I would be unavailable till Wednesday, However I do have 30 days annual leave up my sleeve and as such I can avail myself for Perth Melbourne and Sydney Tests as well. I look forward to discussing this further at an interview; if you wish and I can get referees from some of the guys at work upon request. Yours Sincerely
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November 11, 2008
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in Australian Cricket
Ponting's failure
From Kunal Talgeri, India
During their reign as Captain, Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh each brought about a positive change in attitude among their respective cricket teams whilst touring India. Ricky Ponting has undone all that good work over the past year since India beat his team in the 20-20 World Cup semi finals.
Border led a side here in 1986 that tied a Test match in Chennai. The following year, he spearheaded them to a World Cup win. With coach Bob Simpson (a veteran who played a number of Tests against India), Border and his young team showed Indian fans how the Aussies played the game. It was revered and despised in equal measure because the Aussies play the sport hard.
Mark Taylor brought about gentleness in the squad, without making them lose their edge on the cricket field. That was the value of his leadership. He told a mediaperson in 1998 while on tour that, "We (the Aussies) must ensure that we don't feel victimised." Though they lost the series to an Indian team powered by Tendulkar and Kumble, the attitude change was evident. Taylor had taken his team toward all matters of cricketing significance.
From then on, Waugh made an even more conscious attempt, spending time in Kolkata with an NGO, travelling, etc. He still enjoys tremendous respect and warmth in our land. I think, Ricky Ponting has missed a trick or two in terms of adapting to foreign conditions. And the spirit has been infectious - none of his team members seems motivated. And it showed.
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How the mighty were felled
From Brendan Layton, Australia
The hotly anticipated India v Australia test series is now over, and strangely the future of Test cricket is now under more scrutiny than ever following a series featuring bland pitches, heated confrontations, and numerous on and off field problems. To be realistic, India should have won this series 4-0, no questions asked.
They had a superior team on paper, in their own conditions, and were facing an Australian lineup with no recognised spinner and three quicks without experience bowling to test level on the subcontinent. Australia did incredibly well to hold it to 2-0, and India's second win only came when Australia made a game chase in the fourth innings that was eventually undone my India's spin attack.
India lost the plot at times during this series, particularly in the field, and undid the hard work their bowlers put in. Ishant Sharma was a worthy man of the series as he was yards ahead of the rest. He bowled manfully and was a constant threat, unlike Zaheer who floundered on the increasingly highway-like pitches, and has now established himself as a world class opening bowler.
India's big problem this series was their inconsistency. They dropped off when they could have had the foot on the throat, and they only barely escaped from threatening situations due to the Australian team's ineptitude, case points being Bangalore and the final Test at Nagpur. Gautum Gambhir and Virender Sehwag batted well on tracks that allowed the ball to scream hit me. As did the middle order at times, although Laxman was clearly the standout. Dhoni had his moments and the tail provided some spunk. Everything clicked at least once during the series.
As for Australia, well, only Mike Hussey came away with his reputation enhanced, with Simon Katich probably not far behind him. All the other batsmen had a touch-and-go series. Ponting himself made a century at Bangalore and then seemed to struggle as Ishant and Harbajan continued to expose his weakness against the ball that moves back in. Clarke had a woeful tour. He fell at critical times and was a shadow of the player that made his presence known here four years ago. His century at Delhi secured the draw but he never really asserted himself. Neither did the dominating Hayden, who struggled for form following a long injury lay off. His 77 was a grand gesture however and gave India a fright on the final day.
The remaining players had brief moments that provided little in the end to write home about. Brad Haddin struggled. He had four starts during the series and failed to convert every single one of them into a fifty or century. His glove work was at times rusty and he comes across inexperienced in unfamiliar conditions. Watson was a real conundrum. A player of genuine talent, he was thrust into this tour following the ridiculous dropping of Andrew Symonds and was real hit and miss. He managed a defiant 78 in Mohali as his team crumbled around him, but he achieved better results with the ball, being by a long way the best of the Australian pace men with 10 wickets at 32.10, with a best of 4/42 that gave Australia the slightest of hopes in the final Test.
Australia's biggest problem was their bowling, which never really looked like taking 20 wickets. Their biggest mistake was picking Cameron White, who himself rarely bowls at first class level in deference to Bryce McGain. White never looked threatening and his value with the bat was minuscule at best to compensate for the lack of penetration. The pace attack also floundered. Lee should never have gone on tour. He was never in the right frame of mind and lacked rhythm. Stuart Clark was the only one of the bowlers to keep the batsmen in check, but at the same he wasn't able to penetrate.
Don't get me started on Johnson. I am firmly convinced he should not be playing Test cricket. He was erratic and never looked threatening with a new ball, due to the fact he couldn't swing it to save his life. How he continues to play at the expense of Bollinger or Siddle bemuse me, as they are both far superior bowlers to Johnson. Siddle did little in his test debut but it was a tough ask bowling to strong batting lineup on a pitch so flat my grandmother could have scored a century on it. His time will come, he has the talent. Krejza is yet to discover his worth, despite an epic 12 wickets in his debut test. He needs to lower his economy rates and keep getting picked. He may be the player we were searching for.
Australia has some deep soul searching ahead of a tough 12 months on their cricket calendar. India too must address some problems within their makeup, such as their inconsistency, the loss of several old hands (Dravid is on borrowed time, but luckily they have the impressive Vijay to take his spot if needed) and a tendency to get defensive when they have a series lead. India are still a strong side and the better side during this series, but a lot more work is needed if they are to overtake Australia as the number one nation.
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October 24, 2008
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Australia's 'Fab Four'
From Brendan Layton, Australia
Australia has been blessed with plenty of determined and classy captains. From the original skipper Dave Gregory, to the classy all-rounder and now legendary commentator Richie Benaud, and on to the strong-willed and canny Ian Chappell. In arguably Australia's greatest cricketing age, there have been four that have taken on the challenge: Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. All had unique skills and abilities, and all were determine individuals.
On pure ability, Punter is miles ahead of the other three, while Tubby was the least gifted. AB and Tugga were decent all-rounders in their prime, but Punter and Tubby were highly gifted fieldsmen. Their respective terms of leadership were also highly unique and reflective of their character.
AB was probably the most singled-minded of them all, probably based on the fact he played during Australia's lowest ebb and then worked his hardest to get the team back to the top. Ponting and Waugh have been in charge during Australia's dominance in the last eight years or so. But they inherited a team that had already claimed the top spot. The man who set that chain of events off was Mark Taylor, close to, if not already, Australia's greatest test captain.
Taylor inherited a strong team from Allan Border that had established itself well and then set the wheels in motion to make that squad invincible. During his time Warne and McGrath came of age, players such as Steve Waugh came into their prime, and they churned out talent at a time that could have enabled two strong Australian teams to run around.
Taylor was the most balanced captain of the four. He was bright, energetic, generous and highly diplomatic. At the same time he could also be utterly ruthless without being downright cruel. He was immensely respected for his courage and tenacity, and tactically he was not merely astute, but can be considered one of the finest visionaries of his time.
Taylor did what no Australian skipper had done since Ian Chappell in 1972-73 and toppled the West Indies in the West Indies, thus establishing themselves as the undoubted world champions, a position they still hold. He is held is such high regard by those he led that they consider him the finest captain they have played under. Such a credit is not to be taken lightly in Australia's golden era, but it could go to no better player than the lad from Wagga Wagga.
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October 16, 2008
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Kumble will answer Ponting
From Nicholas Angel, Australia
Ricky Ponting has said that the disappointing form of his opposing captain Anil Kumble could turn into an issue for India at the selection table. Ricky Ponting's comments may well serve to motivate the Indian skipper. Ponting only has to cast his mind back a week or two when his fallibility in India and batting average of 12.28 were the fulcrum of the pre-series coverage. He went on to post a magnificent century.
On the eve of the second Test match in Mohali, the series is still wide open yet it is Kumble who has borne the brunt of this week's coverage both in India and abroad. He has been criticised for his captaincy and for carrying an injury into the first Test. He has been criticised for being too old. But expect him to take a bagful of wickets, if not on his 38th birthday tomorrow, then at another crucial time during the Test match. The last time Kumble played a Test at this ground he was the man of the match.
It's not too often Kumble has gone wicketless in Tests and the chances of it happening twice in a row are akin to hoping the 'All Blacks' crash to consecutive losses. India have not lost to the Australia for three tests in a row now. A solid contribution from their captain will not only galvanise his team, but given the narrow margins of recent contests, just might tip the momentum India's way decisively. All of the Indian team, and the celebrated Four in particular, recognise the pressure their captain has been under this week and expect them to celebrate extra hard with his every success. It is this unification, this drive, that Ponting has unwittingly handed to the Indians on a silver platter.
Seemingly Ponting intended to add more fuel to the fire and contribute to Kumble's disrupted preparation. But saying a third seamer might be a more penetrative substitution for Kumble betrays a more likely truth: Ponting's Australians fear Kumble. He is a proven match-winner and although he is in the twilight of his career he has publicly declared that he will graciously depart the arena on his own terms. Better then to have let the sleeping giant lie.
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October 10, 2008
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Catch my point?
From Ravi, United States of America
Ricky Ponting announced that they can take advantage of 'Old India' with their brand of 'new-age' cricket. No one denies that the Australians are athletic on the field, but that doesn't always translate into better fielding overall.
Ganguly is truly an average fielder but looking at the other three, Laxman, Dravid, and Tendulkar, we are in for a surprise. Laxman is slow but he has rarely dropped a catch in the slips (key area in Test cricket). In fact, he has caught some blinders comfortably. His close-in fielding for the Indian spinners is also exceptional. Dravid too is one of best slip fielders in the world. Together Dravid and Laxman must surely rank alongside Mark Waugh. Tendulkar is more versatile and is a good slip fielder for fast bowlers. He is also an outstanding fielder in the deep with a surprisingly good arm, considering his serious elbow injury.
We don't often come to associate the Australians with poor fielding, but looking at the awe-inspiring Michael Clarke's brief stint at slips where he regularly dropped simple catches, it shows that nobody is infallible. Admittedly the Australians have the best ground fielding and also more of the complete packages like Ponting, but that doesn't mean the Indian seniors are the root cause of India's concerns. Not everyone needs to be flying on the boundaries ropes to be good fielders - a fine catch at slip or silly point are equally important in games.
Sure India's famous seniors have sometimes been ugly on the field, but they have been pretty awesome in their preferred positions too and left us with memories to treasure just like their gifted batting.
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October 4, 2008
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Give Katich the ball
From Daniel Cotton, Australia
The answer to Australia's spinning dilemma is a left-arm chinaman already with the squad. In the run up to the Australia A tour of India last month Simon Katich did not bowl in the nets. Instead, having been picked as captain he felt his role was to give every opportunity to Australia's new spinners. "It would be wrong as the captain to be bowling myself, he said. "We have picked so many bowlers on this tour as the selectors want to have a look at those guys."
In the wake of the retirements of Warne, Hogg and MacGill, Australia trialled three relatively inexperienced spin bowlers on the Australia A tour. The best of those three, Bryce McGain, is now injured and will be flying home. Additionally, the selectors saw fit not to pick Beau Casson, the West Indies debutant, in the senior squad. Again he has been overlooked; it has just been announced that Cameron White, an 'all-rounder' who on average has bowled two overs in each of his 21 ODIs to date, is to join the Squad as McGain's replacement.
Without debating the merits of the selection, surely with a Monday arrival, White won't be match ready by Wednesday. Now, with Jason Krejza's 0/123 at an economy rate of 6.15 in the first innings of the tour match against the Indian Board President's XI, it is time for Katich to loosen up. Krejza simply doesn't appear up to the task and his First Class career statistics of just 43 wickets at an average of 45.46 from 23 games doesn't make good reading.
By contrast Katich has 86 First Class wickets at 37.41. Better still, his 12 Test wickets have come at 33.83. Katich is a better, more experienced bowler. And while it may be tempting to consider that even a jet-lagged White, as the 'specialist' spinner, would be a better selection than a part-timer, it is worth noting that White's average and strike-rate at First Class level is inferior to that of Katich.
Not picking a specialist spinner and giving the bulk of spinning duties to Katich has other benefits. Australia's batsman have so far underperformed on tour; the addition of an extra batsman would help bolster the line up. In this scenario Australia won't be short of bowlers; the addition of allrounder Watson to the trio of Lee, Clark and Johnson makes for a healthy pace attack. Additionally Michael Clarke, who has an unbelievable bowling record in India, can provide support.
Clarke's back troubles make it impractical for him to bowl a large number of overs, Katich, however, has no such problem. The year after moving from WA to play for NSW Katich bowled 141 overs in picking up 32 First Class wickets at 22.21. A performance that caused Stuart McGill to remark, "When he came to NSW I identified him as the second best spin bowler in NSW by head and shoulders. He's got the potential to be a great all rounder for Australia." He followed it up with a further 17 wickets the following season before he took over the State captaincy. And this is the problem for the selectors, as captain Katich rarely bowls and so we have seen little of his talent as a wrist spinner since. Seemingly Katich' modesty is depriving Australia of an exciting spinner.
An exception to his bowling exile came this May when Ponting threw him the ball in an Australians tour match against the Jamaica Select XI. Katich picked up match figures of 6/66, afterward telling reporters that he has never stopped bowling in the nets. Just as well, it looks like he will be needed.
If the selectors do make what would be seen by many as the brave move of entrusting Katich with the spinning duties, it won't be without precedent. Michael Bevan, coincidentally another NSW batsman and left-arm chinaman, was picked for his bowling abilities in the 1996-97 series against the West Indies: he took 15 wickets in the series and had match figures of 10/113 in Adelaide. Katich has every chance of equalling that feat.
Comments (23)
September 29, 2008
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in Australian Cricket
Australia minus the arrogance
From Anand Kumar, India
There is something different about this Australian side which has landed in India. I am not speaking about the composition of the team or the skill of its players. I am referring to the attitude with which it has left its shores.
There is nothing new about new untested players in Australian squad. Ever since Damien Martyn retired, Australia has been dealing with a slow exodus of its colossus players and dealing very well. It is no stranger to seeing new players in their team trying to fill up big boots. The likes of Damien Martyn, Justin Langer, Glenn Mcgrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, Brad Hogg, Stuart Macgill and Micheal Kasperowicz have gone out of reckoning in these last two years, some on their own terms and a few on selector's terms. And prior to that we of course had the Waugh brothers, Andrew Bichell, Paul Reifell and some more.
There has been a steady exodus happening in Australian cricket since the turn of this decade which has come to characterise them. In last 2 years, this exodus was massive but what happened along side was that every loss was equalled by some one else who came up and grabbed the opportunity. I am not trying to say that now there is panic in Australian dressing room and they have lost their sleep. But something is different.
Have a look at the things they have said in last few weeks. Micheal Hussey said Australian team is not yet settled for India (that was two weeks back). Any Australian would not have said anything like this even a year back. Matthew Hayden has said that he believes he will be the target and even went as far as to admitting that Harbhajan Singh will be quite a threat in the upcoming series. Even a year back, any Australian would have instead gone ahead and said that they will dominate the opponents lynch pin. Ricky Ponting while trying to egg on Jason Krejza could not muster anything more than saying that he spins the ball a long way. Does he spin it more than Murali, I am sure not and if spins even close to him, why didn't we hear more about him before? Uni-dimensional spin alone is not going to pose any problem for Indians. What has caused this uncertainty in Australian minds? Challenges are not new to them. Well, we will never know. It can be anything.
May be they have hard done by the sudden departure of both Brad Hogg and Stuart McGill. A trip to India with spinners even they have heard less about would have been a humbling experience. Probably, they understand that there has not been one really exciting player they have produced in two years or so and that is worrying. Or perhaps, all that happened in last summer down under has actually shook them.
The captain had been one of those hit the hardest. But most unsettling must have been Symonds' absece from the team. He was a vital cog and is out of the team for non-cricketing, non-fitness and non-doping issues. This might be commonplace in Pakistan but not in Australia. What is clear to me is that this team has come with an undercurrent which is very un-Australian. They are not missing 'Australian ability' as much as they are missing 'Australian arrogance'. And that in the end may be their undoing.
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September 20, 2008
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in Australian Cricket
Les enfants terribles
From Vipul Gupta, India
I do not think that many people would have been surprised by Symonds conduct. As I am sure not many people would have been shocked when Harbhajan slapped his 'younger brother' Sreesanth in an IPL match last summer. The one trait that is comman to all these 3 gentlemen is that they are of a 'slightly' volatile temperament and believe me I am trying my best to put it very mildly.
All three have been involved in on field controversies on numerous occasions in their careers. Things had already started to heat up in India itself and it came to a head with Roy alleging that Bhajji had passed a racist comment against him in the very eventful Sydney Test Match. Unfortunately the only person who displayed any grace and dignity in this entire unsavoury episode which threatened to derail the series was Kumble, the Indian skipper who personally requested Ponting to withdraw his appeal. But the Aussie skipper was adamant and he felt that he could not let his 'mate' Roy down by withdrawing the appeal and it was his stand which put both the CA and the BCCI on a collision course which threatened to fracture the entire cricketing fraternity.
Come to think of it, the crazy juvenile antics of these players was about to bring this great game to its knees. Such mavericks are found everywhere and it is up to the people who are occupying the positions of power to control them and not allow the events to get out of hand. I am afraid that the subsequent events have only put a big question mark on Ponting's wisdom and judgment and by that token of logic even the CA cannot be spared. I am sure that by the end of his career Ponting will be regarded as a great batsman and a good captain, but as a Statesman, not at all, which Anil Kumble proved that he was in that series.
One also cannot help but wonder that things might have been different for the unity in the Aussie dressing room were it not for the IPL's Twenty20 tournament held in India. I am sure that the salary offered to Roy must not have gone down well with some of the greats in the Aussie team because compared to them he was just a toddler starting out in the Test arena. It was amusing to see the sensitive Symonds lament the fact that how the CA had bowed in to the BCCI's financial power when he himself did not think twice of accepting the Deccan Chargers offer, which itself is a brain child of the BCCI.
It might be argued that it is in the nature of the beast that such players have serious temperamental flaws and although they might be adorning this great game as jewels it is very important for the authorities concerned to recognize this particular breed of players and to understand that they cannot be allowed to hold the game of cricket as hostage by their actions and any incident should be nipped in the bud itself before it snow balls into anything major. Surely, as a die hard cricket fan this is not asking for much , or is it?
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September 14, 2008
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Jason Who?
From Michael Sheppard, Australia
The recent selection of Darren Patinson by England only a couple of months ago looks positively normal when put alongside the strange picking of Jason Krejza for India, an off-spinning bowler with batting potential, who only last year was forced to travel interstate to find a first class birth.
Bryce McGain, as Andrew Hilditch pointed out, deserves his place in the touring squad owing to his amazing season in Jason Crejza, on the other hand, achieved very little of note - except for increasing an appalling average and being caught for 'drunk driving'.
Beau Casson has a right to feel aggrieved. His all-round talent greatly contributed to the success of the New South Wales side in claiming the Pura Cup. He also acquitted himself admirably, though not spectacularly, in the West Indies earlier this year. Perhaps the selection panel felt that selecting two wrist spinners in McGain and Casson would not sufficiently utilise the Indian pitches, which Andrew Hilditch seemed to indicate by stating that Crejza was a selection purely on account of the conditions.
But why Crejza?
I admit, Daniel Cullen has not been bowling at near his best for some time, but in his last match for South Australia he claimed 4 vital wickets before suffering an injury. By not picking Cullen, the selection panel has indicated that they feel they made a mistake in awarding him a contract for the past two years and for playing him against Bangladesh in 2006.
This selection reminds me of the controversial selection of Nathan Hauritz over Stuart Macgill some years ago, or not selecting Macgill for any of the Ashes tests in 2005 when Warne was destroying England single handedly. Incidentally, in both series Australia lost. In my opinion, those were mistakes then, and the selection of Crejza over Casson or indeed Cullen, is now.
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September 8, 2008
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There is only one Don
From Brendan Layton, Australia
Following the man's centenary last week, I saw a plethora of Bradman articles thrown around talking about his legendary status and iconic role within cricket. I've decided to throw my two cents in and look at both man and player.
It is extraordinarily hard to dismiss a man who has averaged 99.94 in a 52 test career span, with 29 centuries and 13 half centuries and a high score of 334, which was at its time a world record. He was leagues ahead of his nearest rivals of batting, which were at the time Wally Hammond and Herbert Sutcliffe of England, and George Headley of the West Indies. Headley and Sutcliffe average 60 and Hammond averaged 58, although that averaged suffered after World War II.
He also played in an era of uncovered pitches in which batting could be made difficult when weather permitted, such as the creation of a 'sticky dog' which led to balls shooting erratically off the surface. It has been a wide source of debate as whether Bradman often batted on these styles of wickets (In the home series of 1936-37, he famously reversed the order on a drying pitch at Melbourne, and his 270 changed the series). The majority of his tests were against England, he played against South Africa, the West Indies and India once in his career and none of those tours were overseas, which is vastly different to the current crop of players that play in a variety of conditions and countries. No bowling strategy as provocative as 'Bodyline' has been devised for any other batsman, and even then Bradman averaged 56.57.
Bradman the man was vastly different from the cricketer idolised as an Australian hero during the Depression era. He was regarded knowledgeable but aloof, a shrewd businessman but ham-fisted with money. He was a practising mason and had a long history of grievances with Catholics Bill O' Reilly, Jack Fingleton, 'Chuck' Fleetwood-Smith, and Stan McCabe. O' Reilly and Fingleton were probably his biggest foes. The trio never got on. Although they had immense respect for each other on the field, that was the end of it. The pair laughed the Don back to the pavilion on the occasion of his final test innings, when he was bowled second ball by Eric Hollies for a duck, and they constantly criticised each other over their roles in the team.
He has also been singled out by influential Australia skipper Ian Chappell as one of the prime reasons for World Series Cricket, claiming in a documentary that Bradman 'treated board money as if it was his own money' during a boom time for cricket in the 70's. As an administrator, Bradman was wise but refused to budge on money. He was also regarded as somewhat old-fashioned. Still, Bradman was regarded as the all-knowing doyen of Australian cricket and was often sought after for advice, made all the more harder in his later years when he became a recluse in his home in Adelaide. He always responded to letters with fond affection though, and was polite and helpful for young cricketers seeking advice, whether life or cricket related.
In terms of the greatest batsmen ever, what makes Bradman stand out is not just the fact that he was far ahead of his contemporaries, but he overwhelms all that follow him. It was a common trait to call an exciting young batsman in Australia 'the new Bradman' (Norm O' Neill and Doug Walters suffered this comparison) and it was often a kiss of death. He is justifiably, in terms of figures, ability and influence, at the top of the batting tree in cricket, with his nearest rivals being Sachin Tendulkar (A man Bradman once considered similar to himself), Viv Richards, Brian Lara, and Wally Hammond. There can be no other player quite like Sir Donald George Bradman.
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September 2, 2008
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in Australian Cricket
No joy for 'Roy'
From David Anderson, Australia
I was a late convert to the Andrew Symonds fan club and still only hold a junior member's ticket. For a long time I didn't think he was up to the job, especially in Test cricket but in the last few years he has proven me and a lot of other people wrong.
It's true that he made a major stuff up in 2005 when he turned up for an international match still half cut from the night before and since then there have been a couple of other misdemeanors of less consequence but he appears to be copping a fairly rare deal out of this Darwin fishing trip (mis)adventure. The report of the incident in Cricinfo states, "Symonds' passion for fishing is well documented and he took to the water early on Friday, the day before the first Bangladesh match. When a compulsory team meeting was called later that morning, Symonds did not know about it as he was already wetting a line. An optional training session was later held at the Marrara Cricket Ground, which he had already decided not to attend".
So lets see, he's out on the water on what is essentially a day off and some bright spark decides to call a team meeting after he has left and when he doesn't turn up he's hung out to dry by Cricket Australia and his buddies and made to look a complete tool by the Australian media. Come on, there's either a fair bit of detail missing from available reports or he has been treated rather poorly on this occasion.
If there's more to this story I'd like to read it.
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August 27, 2008
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The fall of Australia
From Ashok Sridharan, India
Blasphemous as it may sound, I'll stick my neck out and say that the current Australian side is not a great side, it is merely a good side with a few great individuals. For all the talk of their complete dominance and being head and shoulders above their opponents, the simple fact is that their dominance has been on the wane, especially post Warne-McGrath.
There's no doubt that Australia's complete dominance in the late 90s and the early noughties would have never been possible but for them. The only time in recent years that the two were missing (Against India in 2003-04), the Australians had to fight tooth and nail to avoid being beaten by an Indian attack that was little stronger than a club attack (missing two key bowlers in Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh by the way).
Coming to more recent times, Australia beat India 2-1 at home last season in a series that could well have gone the other way but for some appalling umpiring at Sydney. That they were beaten at Perth - the Australian equivalent to Barbados for the West Indies in the 80s - by a team from the Subcontinent with an attack peopled largely by rookie fast bowlers (Pathan, Sharma and RP Singh, whose combined age was 64 years) shows just how far their powers are on the wane. Their recent outing in the Caribbean too would have been a lot closer but for Brett Lee, whose 18 wickets at 23.7 was the difference between the sides. That they should have been stretched by a West Indies side rated only better than Bangladesh by itself speaks volumes about their decline.
While Australia have commendably managed to remain perched on top of the Test table despite the exodus of several key players in recent times, its hard not to get the feeling that they are ripe for the plucking. Their decline may not be as marked as that of the West Indies in the 90s and beyond, but there's no doubt that the age when Australia just walked over any opponent is now over. India came close to pulling that off last season and it remains to be seen whether India, South Africa and England (in chronological order) can expose the cracks that outstanding individual performances have papered over.
Brett Lee, who turns 32 this November is unlikely to be able to go on at the same rate beyond another season or two at the very most. Of the younger lot, Tait has so far been injury prone and Mitchell Johnson, touted as a once-in-a-generation bowler, is yet to establish himself in the team. There appears no seriously talented spin bowler anywhere in the horizon. Michael Clarke apart, none of the other young batsmen have so far made a serious case for themselves at the highest level. Hayden will be 37 and Ponting will be 34 later this year. Players like Hussey, Stuart Clark and Brad Hodge, all in their mid 30s might be more than useful, but are not going to help the future and are unlikely to be around too much longer.
For sure, all or at any rate nearly all the above-mentioned players are not going to be around another 3-4 years down the line. Only time will tell whether Australia's rise to the summit was due to the much vaunted Australian system or whether it was simply due to the coincidental appearance of several supremely gifted players in the same generation.
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A case of double standards
From Abdullah Khalid, United Kingdom
The recent admission by Marcus Trescothick that he used minty saliva on the ball to shine to aid it to swing more is another example of the two yardsticks used in cricket. When Wasim and Waqar in '92 demolished England with reverse swing they were labelled as cheats, but when England uses the same reverse swing it becomes an 'art' perfected by the English bowlers.
Similarly, during the 'Oval' fiasco, Darrel Hair was so quick in penalising the Pakistani team for ball tampering that he did not even give it a second thought, and on what evidence...his instincts ! However, here we have someone admitting that he did use something to aid swing, and I hear that it is legitimate. Micheal Kasprowicz went on saying that he wished they had applied more so the ball missed his glove. Huh! Let me be very honest, if this had been admitted by any Pakistani player, the whole series would have been scrapped or worse the scoreline reversed. The only reason this has not been possible is that it has never been proved that Pakistan did it. If it was so, then the current Pakistani fast bowlers would be winning matches as well, which they cannot, because perfecting the art of reverse swing is difficult and it was only the great Khan and the Ws who could do it perfectly.
Double standards have always been the norm for Australia and England. From the '87 incident involving Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana to Ross Emerson/Darrel Hair and Muralitharan to the Oval fiasco, there have always been double standards applied by these nations. It is time we have one law for all rather than different laws for different countries. We already have seen the split in ICC, the CT and Zimbabwe issues are clear examples of this split. Round 1 (Zimbabwe) was won by the Asian bloc, Round 2 (CT) to the non-Asian bloc. What happens next. We might be hearing Lalit Modi soon saying the IPL Champions League will take place in Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi and Lahore. What will happen then?
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August 14, 2008
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in Australian Cricket
The search for the next Warne
From Michael Sheppard, Australia
Since the retirements of Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg, the search for the next Australian spinner has continued with little success. Cricket Australia are aware of the issue; indeed, they have recently appointed Shane Warne in a consultative role to discuss the art of spin bowling with the captains of the Australian States and to mentor young spin bowlers. It is far too early to pass any judgment on what this role will actually achieve, but it is clear that Cricket Australia are attempting to be productive.
This is evident in the fact that Daniel Cullen, Cullen Bailey, Daniel Doran, Beau Casson, Cameron white, Steven Smith, Stephen O'Keefe, Jon Holland and Aaron Heal have been invited to the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence, which is run by Cricket Australia and the Australian institute of Sport, in the hope that one or more of the invitees would go back to their states with the armoury capable of allowing them to succeed. The Australian selectors briefly considered Daniel Cullen and Cullen Bailey sufficiently promising to confer upon them Cricket Australia contracts and, in more recent times, they have given Beau Casson and Cameron White contracts. The unavoidable truth for most of the above players is that after attending the Centre of Excellence (which they were selected to attend on their promise or on their merits as spin bowlers), they have all regressed.
In Daniel Cullen's first year, he spun the ball prodigiously and was not afraid to use his variations. He took an amazing swag of wickets and was talked of as the next test spinner for Australia after MacGill and Warne. Cullen Bailey aggressively flighted the ball and attacked - looking always for wickets. After receiving their respective contracts and attending the Centre of Excellence, however, the two Cullen (s) lost their way. Cullen Bailey was reduced to bowling in a net, with a rope tied half way down from one side to the other, so he could find the flight that had deserted him. Same too Daniel Doran, who leapt on to the first class scene, spinning the ball and claiming wickets like his hero, Shane Warne. After attending the Centre of Excellence and enduring the ignorance of Jimmy Maher (his Queensland captain), he also faded in the reckoning. Although Beau Casson has now been picked for Australia, performing adequately in the West Indies, his career stalled terribly after attending the academy. He was unable to gain a place in the New South Wales side and was forced to change his action.
In Ashley Mallett's excellent biography of Clarrie Grimmett, the wizardly leg spinner that played for Australian in the 1920's and 1930's, he describes how important Grimmett and his bowling partner, the fiery Bill 'Tiger' O'reilly, considered developing one's own style of bowling. The commentator Kerry O'Keeffe tells of the time he saw Cameron White play cricket as a teenager and being able to spin the ball the way in which he wanted - a skill which O'keeffe believes is less evident for Cameron White in present time. The question is, therefore, are the coaches tinkering excessively with the techniques of the young spinners entrusted into their care? Is this the reason Australia fails to produce bowlers like Muttiah Muralitharan or Ajantha Mendis, great bowlers but who possess a curious technique? Would Clarrie Grimmett be instructed not to keep his arm so low, or tiger O'Reilly told not to bowl so fast if they were beginning to spin today? I hope not, but I have my doubts.
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